Cosmology
Cosmology is a branch of study concerned with the study of the universe: its origin, its evolution, its layout, and its eventual fate. It deals also with the study of planes of reality, and the planar barriers that separate the spheres of influence of each plane. The study of how the universe is structured is one of the greatest endeavours for learned individuals and arcane practitioners alike. Despite centuries of study, the questions have only led to theories, and though some definitive answers have been proven, much of the exact truth remains unknown. The Great Wheel The Great Wheel is the prevalent cosmological model acknowledged by academia. It consists of a series of concentric spheres, each representing a new layer of reality and separated by planar barriers. In the centre is the Prime Material Plane, encased in the tapestry of magic, called The Weave. Beyond that is the Aetherium, called also the Ethereal Plane, which forms a layer between Ygdren and the turbulent intertwined energies of Sol and Mor which make up the Celestial Plane. Outside that are the Elemental Planes, commonly represented as a swirling hurricane that is in constant flux, stronger and more stable towards the inner parts, and devolving into the Elemental Chaos as it disperses. These planes include the four major elements (Fire, Earth, Water, Air), as well as segments in between where the elements intersect. Beyond the reaches of the storm is The Slip, which is in turn contained by The World Stream, a river of flowing arcana that sometimes coalesces into small pocket domains, called the Fractal Realms. Prime Material Plane The Prime Material Plane (also known as the ''Material Plane'') is the central plane of existence, and the plane on which the physical known world takes form. Each world in existence is theorised to have at least the Prime Material Plane, which is typically equivalent to the world itself and given the same name. In the cosmology of Ygdren, the Prime Material Plane is protected by a substantial planar barrier as well as a further arcane barrier formed by The Weave. The prime planar barrier was weakened during the first Dread War, and later completely shattered in 4E 103 by Salakai at Lor Dulhir, allowing for an increased amount of arcane and planar influence to flood into the material plane. The Weave The Weave is a layer of arcane energy that has no physical form, but is theoretically an extension of the material plane. It is often depicted as a densely woven blanket made up of different threads of energy or arcana. These threads are drawn into the physical material plane whenever magic is cast on Ygdren, with the type of thread corresponding to the studied Schools of Magic. In the cosmology of Ygdren, the Weave serves as both the source of magic and as a deflective shield against external energies, similar to an atmosphere in physical terms. A skilled enough arcanist is in theory capable of forming planar tunnels from the Weave to reach the outer planes, though the required energy increases exponentially with each planar barrier that must be breached. Aetherium Aetherium (also known as the ''Ethereal Plane'') is a non-corporeal plane which exists as a mirror of the material plane, in which nothing is solid. It is theorised that the plane is formed as a by-product of dissipating arcana from The Weave. As a result, the etherealness of the plane increases in intensity the further outward from the material plane it reaches. The inner regions of Aetherium, known as the Border Ethereal, are commonly accessible by arcanists practicing planar magic, but regions beyond that become more troublesome to traverse. Some creatures possess innate magic that allows them to fade into the ethereal plane and travel at will, but rarely do such creatures venture beyond the innermost borders of the plane itself.Category:Mythology Celestial Plane Elemental Planes The Slip The World Stream The World Stream is a river of chaotic arcana that has dispersed out of The Weave but remains cohesive enough to manipulate. It is a layer of torrential uncontrolled magic with no physical form orbiting the inner planes, kept together only by the sheer momentum of the current. The stream is interrupted only by small pockets of existence and spinning columns of astral matter caught in eddies and swirls. The pockets are usually fashioned by extremely powerful entities, typically deities, or are an ancient byproduct of the shaping of the world, remnants from before the cosmology took form. Fractal Realms The Fractal Realms are fragmented pocket planes fashioned out of condensed arcana that is given material form through some type of immense power. They are typically the home of Prime or Ascended deities, and are often referred to also as Divine Realms. This name is however a misconception, as several Fractal Realms were not fashioned by deistic entities but instead formed over countless millennia during the shaping of Ygdren. The Outer Chaos